Canvierre

Nuveaux is a very diverse place, and therefore Canvierre is also a very diverse place. Humans are the largest population, as they are on most of Amaun, however this proportion is comparatively small. A significant portions of the population are goblin, hobgoblin, half-elf, and halfling. Planetouched individuals are still a rarity, but are less so here than in most places on the Twin Worlds.   It is worth noting that the vast majority of the population are not permanent residents, as most Nuvoans come and go on their ships. Those that do stay are those required for the maintenance of the port. Many of these people are captives who live their lives in servitude with little hope of leaving.

Canvierre is a very lawless place. Naturally, this means it is also a very dangerous place as violence often goes unpunished. The main exception is if a visitor attacks a Nuvoan. In such a case, the visitor is usually killed by an angry mob with very little in the way of questions asked.   The Captains' Council visits here regularly, but attendance of most captains is notoriously spotty. Also, these captains rarely exert their influence beyond their own crew. That said, it is not inaccurate to say that Canvierre has no government at all.

The sheltered location of Canvierre is its most valuable defense, in addition to the treacherous environment. The rocky geography of the town means that it can only be approached by sea. The harbor is full of sharp rocks that makes this approach dangerous without a guide or a great deal of experience sailing these waters.   These things make Canvierre the perfect fortress, but they also make it the perfect trap. If the port were ever blockaded, escape overland would be difficult, if not impossible and the rocks would make attempting to run the blockade a suicide mission.   The port is well-defended by other means, however. Numerous balistae line the outside of the port, and it has even been rumored that they have several projectors of stolen Qandaq Fire. Most Nuvoan pirates would die before surrender, making a direct assault very difficult, as the port is usually hosting several ships at once.

There is one industry of any note in all of Nuveaux: piracy. Anything that exists in Canvierre is in support of this business. The inns, brothels, smithies, and alchemists primarily serve the pirate crews with several of such places dedicated to them exclusively. Such businesses are marked with the dragon turtle sigil of Nuveaux.   A surprisingly extensive market does exist here, as well. This caters to visitors, and sells those goods the pirates steal that they can't use themselves. The selection is surprisingly diverse, and the prices are unbeatable if you ignore the fact that the goods sold were metaphorically, if not literally plucked from the cold, dead hands of their former owners.

The history of Canvierre is long, but it is not terribly extensive, much as the history of Nuveaux, itself. When humanity organized not long after the Second Rising, the pirates were mostly driven away from the shipping routes by the powerful nations that started to form.   They were driven to the harsh and brutal Rockspine Peninsula. The treacherous, rocky coastline mostly lacked places to make port and so the seafarers sailed up and down the coast in search of places to dock. When they saw this sheltered overhang, they were drawn in as if by the song of the sirines.   Just like the song of the sirines, these attempts to explore the area led to their ships being dashed upon the rocks. The formation of a community was mostly accidental. It took some time for them to learn their way around the rocks, but eventually the place became a center for the nefarious trade of piracy.

The buildings of Canvierre are of ramshackle wooden construction made from the remains of captured and wrecked ships. This gives the entire town a run-down look that makes the piers and boardwalks seem unreliable. This is somewhat deceptive, however, as it is generally very well-maintained all year round.   These structures are not left undecorated, however. The walls are painted in bright colors, and often covered in extensive murals. Opinion is divided among visitors as to whether the effect is pleasant, or a gaudy, artless jumble.

The town of Canvierre is built under a massive stone overhang that almost resembles a huge cave structure. There is a narrow sandy beach deep within, and a large number of jagged rocks jutting out of the frigid water. As with all of Nuveaux's ports, this water frequently freezes over in the winter.   Some of the buildings are constructed on the beach, but most are built on a spider web of floating boardwalks. Due to the shadowy nature of the overhang, these docks are lit with torches all throughout the day, creating a shimmering reflection on the water. The steady sound of the waves lapping against the boardwalk is constant, as is the smell of sea spray.